Interlocking component system of construction



T. F. PUGH Oct. 29, 1968 INTERLOCKING COMPONENT SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17, 1966 FlGl INVENTOR' THOMAS F.- PUGH ()ct. 29, 1968 T. F. PUGH 3,407,555

INTERLOCKING COMPONENT SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 17, 1966 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 8 H69 FIG. l5 32 30 47 FIG. I6 34 3s 46/ v 47 4s INVENTOR- 1 THOMAS F. PUG" 0a. 29, 1968 T. F. PUGH 3,407,555

INTERLOCKING COMPONENT SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 17, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. THOMAS F. 'PUGl-l United States Patent 3,407,555 INTERLOCKING COMPONENT SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTION Thomas F. Pugh, 928 Noe Ave.,

. Eureka, Calif. 95501 Filed Jan. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 521,176

Claims. (Cl. 52288) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for constructing a panel of alternating cap and board Components joined together by angularly disposed tongue and groove construction having a space pro- 'viding a capillary stop .to prevent separation of the components and provide a watertight panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the inventi0n.This invention relates to structures of various kinds having interlocking joints between components by which a building or other structure can be assembled in a minimum of time using a minimum of mechanical or other fasteners.

(2) Description of the prior art.Heretofore many prefabricated or precut buildings or portions of buildings have been provided with components which joined or fitted together, such as tongue and groove joints, overlapping battens, prefabricated panels, and the like. However, most of these structures have not provided a positive type of interlocking action, have been expensive to produce, or for other reasons have not been satisfactory.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is .an interlocking component system for constructing a panel including alternate cap and board components connected together by tongues and grooves disposed at an angle to the plane of the panel so that any movement in any direction by one of the components will be resisted by the remaining components. The tongues and grooves are constructed in such a manner that when assembled a generally vertical space will be provided within the joint to act as a capillary stop and substantially prevent water or other liquid from passing through the joint.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a precut building or other structure having interlocking components designed to carry the structural load and which joints will be substantially waterproof and will resist or eliminate bending or flexing of any single component regardless of whether the bending or flexing is man-made or induced by natural elements.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustrating a portion of the precut building in assembled relation;

FIG. 2, an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a fragmentary perspective illustrating the manner in which vertical walls are joined together;

FIG. 4, an enlarged section of a cap component used for connecting at least two cooperating boards;

FIG. 5, an enlarged section of a board having portions receivable within the cap of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6, a section of a plurality of caps and boards in assembled relation;

FIG. 7, a perspective on a reduced scale of a panel unit with a plurality of caps and boards in position;

FIG. 8, an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 8-8 of FIG. 3;

3,407,555 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 FIG. 9, an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 9-9 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10, an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 1010 of FIG. 1 illustrating a preferred form of window construction;

FIG. 11, a section similar to FIG. 10 illustrating a modified form of window construction;

FIG. 12, a section illustrating one type of door jamb utilized on interior doors; I

FIG. 13, a section similar to FIG. 12 of a modified form of door jamb;

FIG. 14, a fragmentary perspective of a corner trim;

FIG. 15, a section similar to FIG. 4 of a modified form of cap component; and,

FIG. 16, a section similar to FIG. 5 of a modified form of board component.

With continued reference to the drawings a building 20 is constructed on footings 21 and may include a floor 22 of conventional construction, such as a wooden sub? floor or a concrete slab. The building includes exterior walls 23 covered by a roof 24 :and the interior of such building may be divided into smaller rooms or compartments by means of interior walls or partitions 25. The exterior walls 23 and interior walls 25 are provided-with a plurality of openings in which doors 26 and windows 27 are located.

The exterior walls 23, interior walls 25 and roof 24 all may be constructed of cap and board components having interlocking joints. In order to do this a plurality of structural cap components 30 are provided each of which usually is generally rectangular in cross-section and normally is utilized to connect and lock two or more board components 31.

The cap component 20 has a front 32, a back 33 and sides 34 and 35. A groove 36 is rabbeted upwardly and inwardly from the corners where the back 33 joins the sides 34 and 35. The groove may be at any desired angle although an angle of 45 has been found satisfactory. As illustrated best in FIG. 4 a portion of each of the sides 34 and is removed to provide flat portions 38 generally parallel with the front 32 and connecting the sides 34 and 35 with the grooves 36 for a purpose which will be described later. Preferably a relatively sharp corner between tJhe grooves 36 and the back 33 may be trimmed off to form a relieved edge 40.

The board component 31 may be of any conventional or desired size and includes a front 41, a back 42 and sides 43 and 44 as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 5. The board 31 is adapted to have a tongue 45 at each side disposed at an angle complementary to the grooves 36 and of a size to be slidably received within such grooves. To form the tongues 45 a pair of relatively wide grooves or channels 46 are cut into the front 41 adjacent to each of the sides 43 and 44, such grooves 46 having tapered sides 47 disposed generally at an angle of 45 to the front 41. The front corners of the board between the front 41 and sides 43 and 44 are trimmed off at an angle of approximately 45 to the sides 43 and 44 to form the outer edges 48 of the tongues 45. Preferably the outer edges 48 do not intersect the tapered sides 47 of the grooves 46 but are spaced therefrom leaving fiat or land portions 49. The tongues 45 are then completed by trimming the opposite corners of the board between the back 42 and sides 43 and 44 generally at a 45 angle to provide fiat surfaces 59 which are substantially parallel to the tapered sides 47 of the grooves.

When a plurality of cap components=30 and board components 31 are assembled into a panel 51, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the tongues 45 of the board components 31 are inserted within the grooves 36 of the cap until the flattened portions 38 of the cap engage the bottom of the grooves. Thereafter the caps and boards may be fastened to a connecting plate or member 52 in any desired manner, as by fasteners 53. In this position the components lock together to form a panel wall partition or other structural member. The relationship of the tongues 45 of the board 31 to the angle of the grooves 36 of the cap component prevents any movement of either component by causing the sides of the tongues to bear against the sides of the grooves. Normal contraction and expansion due to varying moisture content of the material or the surrounding atmosphere will not cause the joint to open or separate since any shrinkage or expansion of the interlocked components would be toward or away from each other and would cause pressure on one side or the other of the grooves and thereby cause a tighter joint.

When the flat portions 38 of the cap 30 engage the grooves 46 of the board 31 an effective barrier or stop against the entrance of water or other fluid is provided and such water will gravitate downwardly within the recess formed between the sides 34 and of the cap and the tapered sides 47 of the board. Due to the angularity of the grooves 36, the land portions 49 of the board create a generally triangular space therein as clearly shown in FIG. 6 and this space will function as a capillary stop by breaking the surface tension of any moisture that penetrates the inner surfaces of the joint.

Due to the structural characteristics of the caps 30 and the interlocking tongues of the boards 31, a substantially solid wall will be provided having the capability of functioning as a hearing or weight supporting wall. Also the relieved edges of the cap intersect the fiat surfaces 50 of the boards to provide decorative grooves defining wall portions of alternating widths which increases the aesthetic appearance of the rearward side of the wall.

In order to support the generally vertical walls of the building 20 a base plate is provided having a longitudinal groove 56 with a plurality of spaced offset recesses 57. At the top of the wall, a top plate 58 is provided having a longitudinal groove 59 with a series of spaced offset recesses corresponding to the receses 57 of the base plate 55. The recesses 57 and 60 are spaced lengthwise along the base plate 55 and the top plate 58 a distance corresponding to the width of the board components 31 so that such boards can be received within the grooves 56 and 59 and the caps 30 will be received within the re cesses 57 and 60 while being in interlocking relationship with the boards. Preferably the base plate 55 is provided with an orifice or draining hole 61 extending from the base of each of the recesses 57 to the exterior of the base plate to provide for drainage of any water or other liquid which may become entrapped within the grooves 56 or the recesses 57. It is noted that the recesses and the caps therein are spaced apart a distance equal to or less than the distance required by building codes for conventional studs of bearing or weight supporting walls so that the cap components 30 will serve the same function as conventional studs.

In constructing the roof 24 of the building, a ridge beam 62 is provided along the length or breadth of the building and a series of cap and board components of a convenient length are joined in interlocking relation to form the roof, with such components extending from the ridge beam to a position overlying the exterior walls 23. A base plate 55 may be attached to the outer ends of the cap and board components to serve as a trim or facia board. Preferably the cap components 30 of the roof are disposed on the outer side of the building to present a substantially waterproof roof while the interior of the roof will present a smooth appearance with decorative grooves. Additionally, caulking of the interlocking joints will assure complete waterproofness without recourse to the addition of conventional roof coverings. The upper ends of the cap and board components forming the roof may be covered by a ridge cap 63 to preserve the watertight integrity of the roof.

To provide for exterior and interior door openings at combined header and lintel 64 (FIG. 1), similar in construction to top plate 58, is mounted between two cap components 30 spanning a plurality of component spaces to achieve desired door width and thereafter the door may be hingedly mounted directly to one of the cap components.

With reference to FIGS. l2 and 13, alternate methods of providing door framing for access openings through the exterior walls 23 and interior walls or partitions 25 are shown. FIG. 12 illustrates a door frame or jamb 65 provided with a groove 66 of a size to receive the side 34 of a cap component 30 thus effectively covering the exposed groove 36 of the cap 30. Preferably the door frame 65 has a recess or notch 68 for the reception of the door 26. FIG. 13 illustrates a modified or alternate door stop 69 having a tongue 70 receivable within the groove 36 of the cap to provide a solid jamb for interior and exterior doors.

With reference to FIGS. 1, l0 and 11, a window opening is provided having upper and lower framing members 71 which are similar in construction to the base plate 55. FIG. 10 illustrates a side frame or window jarnb 72 having a groove 73 of a size to receive one side of a cap component 30 in such a manner that the groove 36 will be covered. Functionally a conventional case or louvre type window 74 may be inserted within the opening. FIG. 11 illustrates apparatus for placing a fixed permanent window of transparent material 75, such as glass, plastic or the like, within the window frame. Such transparent material can be placed against the flat portions 38 of the cap components 30 and thereafter a plug or trim member 76 having a tongue 77 receivable within the grooves 36 can be applied to retain the window in position.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 the interior walls 25 may be located in any desired position and in order to connect the interior wall 25 to the exterior wall 23 a modified cap component 78 is provided which is identical with the cap components 30 with the exception that it is provided with a groove 36 on one side only. The opposite side remains solid and is connected to either a cap component 30 or a board component 31 by means of an adhesive 79, a fastener 80, or both.

When two exterior walls 23 meet at a corner of the building, a spline 84 is provided which is received within the grooves 36 of adjacent cap components to secure and lock the corner in position. The exterior of the corner normally meets at a 90 angle created by the sides of adjacent cap components 30. This corner is adapted to be filled by an exterior weathertight seal and molding strip 85 having a generally triangular central portion 86 and outwardly extending flanges 87 adapted to overlie the adjacent cap components. The molding strip 85 may be provided with a plurality of openings 88 generally along the longitudinal axis of the strip for the reception of fasteners 89 which pass through the molding strip 85 and penetrate the spline 84. Also additional fasteners (not shown) may pass through the flanges 87 directly into the cap components to rigidly connect the molding strip to the building.

FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate a modified form of cap and board components 30' and 31 respectively, which are similar to the cap 30 and board 31 previously described, with the exception that the grooves 36' of the cap 30' are rounded instead of being square and the board component 31 is provided with tongues 45 terminating in arcuate portions of a configuration complementary to the arcuate grooves 36 of the cap 30'.

In the construction of the building the floor 22 is constructed after which the base plates 55 are mounted thereon. The exterior walls 23 of the building are then constructed by preassembling a series of cap and board components into panels by inserting the tongues 45 of the boards into the grooves 36 of the caps and then erecting the completed wall so that the boards are received within the grooves 56 of the base plate and the caps 30 are received within the recesses 57 thereof. Also it is contemplated that one corner of the building which includes one or two cap components can be erected first and thereafter individual board and cap members can be added until the base plate 55 is filled. Thereafter the top plate 58 can be applied to the upper ends of the cap and board components, the ridge beam 62 placed in position and the roof 24 constructed as a completed unit and placed in position or as independent units in the same manner as the walls. After the shell of the building has been erected the interior walls and the doors and windows may be placed in position to complete the building.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An interlocking system of construction comprising alternate cap and board components, said cap components including relatively thick narrow members, each cap component having a rear surface and two side surfaces with opposed grooves extending inwardly and forwardly from a position adjacent to the corners between the rear surface and the side surfaces and at an angle to both, said board components including relatively thin wide members with front and rear surfaces, each of said board components having a tongue disposed entirely along each side extending outwardly and forwardly at an angle to the rear surface of the board member and complementary to the grooves of said cap members, each tongue being snugly received within one of the grooves of a cap memher, said tongues having land portions which cooperate with said grooves to define longitudinal spaces, and the rear surfaces of said cap members being substantially in the same plane as the rear surfaces of said board members, whereby said members will be locked together so that forward, rearward and sideways movement of one member will be resisted by the other members, and said spaces produce capillary stops.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which each of said board components includes a groove in said front surface adjacent to each tongue and adapted to receive a portion of said cap components.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which each of said cap components includes a flat portion extending from the side surfaces to the grooves and receivable within the grooves in the front surface of the board components.

4. The structure of claim 1 including a base plate and a top plate, each of said base and top plates having a longitudinal groove with offset recesses, said longitudinal grooves being of a size to receive the ends of said board components and said ofiset recesses being of a size to receive the ends of said cap components.

5. Apparatus for joining two walls together at an angle to each other comprising a pair of upright posts located adjacent to each other, said posts being the end members of each wall, each of said posts having a groove located substantially normal to a line bisecting the angle between said posts and in alignment with each other, a spline located within said grooves and extending from one post to the other, a molding strip having a generally triangular sided central portion, the first and second sides of said central portion being generally parallel to the ends of said posts and in abutting relation therewith, a flange connected to opposite sides of said central portion and with each flange adapted to overlie a portion of one of said posts, the third side of said central portion having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings along the axis of said molding strip and fastening means received within said openings and extending through said central portion into said spline, whereby said spline and molding strip rigidly connect said posts together in assembled relation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 747,120 12/1903 Beaumont 52-471 X 1,432,222 10/1922 Vail 52-594 2,115,270 4/1938 Leash 52471 X FOREIGN PATENTS 45,026 1928 Norway. 116,392 1943 Australia.

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner. 

